Metro Vancouver has ruled out foul play in the Oct. 1 release at the Cleveland Dam that sent a torrent of water down the Capilano River, leaving one man dead and another one missing. But, the exact cause has still not been revealed.
“The investigation is still underway, and there are some questions for which we are still confirming answers; however, we are confident at this point that the event did not involve terrorism, sabotage, or malicious intent,” a statement from CAO Jerry Dobrovolny, read Monday afternoon.
One person died after being pulled to dry land by rescuers. Another victim, a 27-year-old man, remains missing and the search is ongoing, according to North Vancouver RCMP.
The dam was part way through a maintenance project when the spillway opened unexpectedly, causing the river to rise more than three metres at the Cable Pool and increase its flow from a trickle to more than 400 cubic metres per second.
Metro staff locked the spillway over the weekend for the early stages of the investigation but with heavy rain expected this weekend, Dobrovolny said the spillway will have to be reopened again, starting Monday night to ensure lake and river levels remain safe.
“We are adding additional staff to monitor our operational practice during this activity. Once the spillway gate is fully open, we expect it will remain so through the winter,” Dobrovolny’s statement read.
The statement also clarifies that neither Cleveland Dam nor the Seymour Falls Dam have alarms that can warn people downstream of any impending danger from the dam.
“We have heard very clearly from the public an interest in understanding the nature of alarm systems on dams,” the statement read. “As part of our investigation and assessment, we are exploring options to improve our system, including the possible addition of alarm systems.”
After ensuring there is no further risk to the public, Metro’s consultants surveyed the river for any environmental fallout. That turned up “no stranded or isolated fish or notable concerns.”
“Naturally, the thing we are first and foremost concerned with is the impact of this event on human life and the fear and anxiety this has caused those who regularly use the park. The recommendations that result from our investigation will have this at the front of mind, as we want to be able to ensure that we have taken every available step so that this does not happen again,” the statement concludes.
